It has been a while since I’ve done one of these. As always, I am NOT speaking in black and white terms…
1. When it comes to ideal form, so much boils down to troubleshooting and figuring out what works and feels best for each individual. There is not a ‘’one size fits all’’ formula or approach.
2. Form will vary on an individual basis, and due to many different factors. No two people will have identical form, and this IS normal.
3. One of many great ways you can ‘’shock’’ your body, but without jumping from exercise to exercise, or from program to program, is to perform the same exercise but use a different grip. Pull-ups are a great example!
4. You do not need a lot of equipment to do a really effective workout.
5. If you are performing dead bugs correctly, and this basically applies to all variations, they shouldn’t feel ‘’too easy.’’
6. This also applies to bird dogs, hollow body holds, planks, Pallof presses, renegade rows, and countless other exercises.
7. As a coach, probably the worst thing you can do is make someone feel like they are weak, dysfunctional, and broken. It is our job to empower, lead, and give our clients the confidence and tools so they can make themselves more, whatever their definition of ”more” is. Words are extremely powerful, and can make or break a person. Think before you speak, and choose your words (and tone) wisely. The same applies to medical professionals.
8. When you are performing hip thrusts/glute bridges, the angle of your shins can determine what muscles are working more. More vertical shins = more glutes. More angled shins (heels way ahead of the knees) = more hamstrings. So if you are doing hip thrusts/glute bridges with the intention of targeting your glutes but are really noticing your hamstrings, check the angle of your shins as this is sometimes the culprit.
9. Basic often works best! Resist the urge to overcomplicate your exercises or training program.
10. It doesn’t matter if you are squatting 300 lbs or your bodyweight, treat each rep exactly the same.
11. While your weight on the bar might not have increased, if your form has improved, you have made progress. Weight is not everything! Take pride in gains in form.
12. Just because something works for you doesn’t mean it will work for someone else.
13. When it comes to virtually any performance, aesthetic, or health-related goal, progress is rarely linear or predictable. So do not get discouraged.
14. Rather than rushing each rep and performing a greater number of lower quality reps, take your time and really focus on performing high quality reps. Quality over quantity!
15. If you are working with a medical professional of any kind and they ONLY provide passive treatments, ONLY treat the symptoms, and do not look to address the underlying cause of your issue, run for the hills and do not look back!
16. You are not your diet!
17. Before you progress to doing more advanced variations of an exercise, make sure you have mastered the fundamentals first.
18. Many people make the mistake of constantly switching up their workout program or using too much variation because 1) they are ”bored,” or 2) they believe they are ”shocking/confusing their muscles.” This is a huge mistake, particularly when you are in the beginning stages of a strength training program.
19. When you are performing any movement pattern, whether it is squatting, lunging, hinging, pushing, pulling, carrying, sprinting, or anything else, control the movement, do not let the movement control you.
20. Get fit to play your sport. In the vast majority of instances, you should not use your sport to get fit.
21. While your weight on the bar might not have increased, if your form has improved, you have made progress. Weight is not everything! Take pride in gains in form.
22. Walking is an extremely underrated form of ‘’self care.’’ I’m not even talking about burning calories or getting a certain number of steps. Walking can be great for your mental health!
23. If you are performing single arm dumbbell floor presses or bench presses correctly, both serve as fantastic anti-rotational core stability exercises. Aside from the arm that is performing the pressing movement (and the scapula on the same side), the rest of your body should remain in a fixed position.
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